Custom and Hot Rod Festival - Father's Day, Sunday 15th June

Custom Car

Custom vehicles in Beaulieu Arena

Victory Wheelers

On Father’s Day, Sunday 15 June, bring Dad to Beaulieu for a fun-filled family day out at the Custom & Hot Rod Festival. This popular event, in association with Victory Wheelers, the South Coast’s leading Custom, American and Hot Rod club, features colourful displays of hundreds of custom cars and motorcycles, live music and entertainment, as well as all the features of the Beaulieu attraction.

Buy your tickets now to take advantage of the fantastic Earlybird discount rate for visitors - but hurry, as these heavily discounted tickets are only available until 5pm on Friday 16 May at www.beaulieushop.co.uk

Anyone owning a Hot Rod, Custom or Classic American car or motorcycle can drive to Beaulieu and display their vehicle alongside hundreds of others in the beautiful grounds of the National Motor Museum.

Admire some of the quirky and unusual designs that can only be found on the colourful custom scene, and enjoy some great entertainment, as well as free rides on the fairground dodgems*. You can also browse a number of trade stands selling clothing, Americana memorabilia, merchandise, accessories and the latest custom magazines.

Visitors will have the opportunity to vote for their favourite vehicle in the People’s Choice Award, sponsored by Willydog Hotdogs, with the winner receiving a special trophy in an afternoon prize-giving ceremony. Prizes will also be awarded in a number of categories to include Best In Show and Best In Class.

Admission to the Festival includes entry to the whole Beaulieu attraction, which features the National Motor Museum with two new displays for 2014 – For Britain & For The Hell Of It and The Motorcycle Story, World of Top Gear, Beaulieu Abbey, Palace House and the grounds and gardens, plus unlimited rides on the high-level monorail and open-topped veteran London bus.
The show opens to the public on Sunday from 10am, with entry at 8am for those participating in the event with custom vehicles.

All-inclusive advance event admission tickets are available to buy at an Earlybird rate until 5pm on 16 May (visitor tickets only) and at an advance discount rate until 5pm on 14 June (visitor and participant tickets) online at www.beaulieushop.co.uk or on Ticket Hotline 01590 612888.
On the day ticket prices for participants with Custom vehicles are £10 per adult and £5 per child**. On the day ticket prices for visitors are priced at normal on the day Beaulieu attraction admission rates.

Whether you are bringing a custom car or not, you are welcome to join Beaulieu for the whole weekend, to enjoy camping on the Friday and Saturday nights, live music and entertainment. Those with custom cars can also enjoy the Saturday Cruise Out. Weekend tickets must be booked in advance by submitting a booking form available to download from www.beaulieucustomfestival.co.uk

For more information about the Custom and Hot Rod Festival, visit www.beaulieucustomfestival.co.uk or join the conversation with @Beaulieu_Hants on Twitter using #customfestival

Simply Ford 2014 - Beaulieu

Cavalcade

Main arena

The first of Beaulieu’s 2014 calendar of Simply rallies, Simply Ford, was held in the grounds of the Beaulieu attraction on the 4th May. Participants of this popular event which is now in its fifth year, had a perfect day to show off their motors and relax in the sunshine.

A bumper number of over 1,700 joined the event with around 1,000 Ford cars, from early models to custom and modern classics, on display in the Beaulieu parkland.  The event this year celebrated 50 years of the Ford Mustang, one of the marques most iconic cars with a special display of owners’ Mustangs.

Judith Maddox, Beaulieu’s Events Manager said: “Simply Ford goes from strength to strength with 25% more participants this year. The fine weather certainly brought Ford owners out in force and it was lovely to see such a wide variety of cars on show.”

Clubs attending included the Ford Probe Club UK, celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Second Generation ‘Gen 2’ Ford Probe, South West Ford, the Escort Cabriolet Club and the XR and ZS Owners’ Clubs. In addition, there were a number of trade stands selling Ford related parts and accessories.

Show regulars, the Ford Heritage Collection supported the event again with a number of their superb vehicles including an Escort Mklll Ghia, a Granada Scorpio 2.9 Auto Estate and an S-Max Titanium MPV. The Hendy Ford dealership also attended with a variety of vehicles from their new Ford range.

A People’s Choice Best in Show trophy was awarded to Mark Hudd, who is currently chairman of the Swindon RS Owners’ Club and a regular attendee at Simply Ford, for his 1986 Ford Escort RS Turbo.

An additional People’s Choice trophy for the Best Mustang was awarded to Terry Bridle from Reading for a1966 black and gold Mustang which he has owned for ten years.

After the trophy presentations by Beaulieu’s Commercial Director, Stephen Munn, the top People’s Choice vehicles took part in a cavalcade around the grounds.

Spring into summer at Beaulieu this May Half Term (24th May – 1st June 2014)

During the May Half Term, 24th May - 1st June, spring into summer at Beaulieu and enjoy all the fantastic features of one of the south’s leading visitor attractions, as well as special activities for all the family.

Giant Chess

Giant Connect 4

Giant Drafts

In the grounds, have a go on some Giant Games! Get tactical with giant sized Noughts and Crosses, checkmate the king on the super-size Chess board and test out your logic skills with larger than life Connect Four. Budding drivers can get in the driving seat on Dipstick’s Driving Circuit, whilst younger visitors can get physical on the Mini Motor PlayTrail with its Veteran Bus climbing frame, swings and Little Tykes ride-on-cars.

In Beaulieu Abbey, join the costumed monk in a fun game to find out how medieval arches were built and discover how herbs were used in medicines in monastic times.
Visit the National Motor Museum and see over 250 vehicles on display, including Land Speed Record Breakers, F1 racers, classic family cars of the 30s and 40s, plus rare motoring oddities such as a giant orange on wheels. Walk through Jack Tucker’s, a 1930s country garage, and take a ride on Wheels, a fascinating journey through 100 years of motoring.
Don’t miss the first opportunity to see the brand new Motorcycle Story, which takes you on a journey through motorcycling history, showing the developments in technology and the changing trends in fashion, style and sport. The displays cover road safety, British youth culture of the 1950s and 60s and a wide range of racing disciplines.
Also new for 2014, For Britain & For The Hell Of It is a fascinating display featuring the museum’s iconic Land Speed Record cars; Bluebird CN7, Golden Arrow and the Sunbeams 350hp and 1000hp. These stunning vehicles are showcased alongside a stirring audio-visual presentation and a temporary exhibition of alternative Land Speed Record vehicles.

Visit World of Top Gear to see actual vehicles created by presenters Jeremy, Richard and James during some of their most memorable challenges. The ‘Enormodrome’ recreates the feel of the Top Gear studio with regular features from the programme, including the Cool Wall and the Celebrity ‘Lap Times’ board, kept up to date in line with the show. Visitors can also watch behind-the-scenes footage of the Top Gear production zone and clips of some of the best Top Gear moments.

Visit Palace House, home of the Montagu family since 1538 and meet costumed staff who will tell you what life was like in the house during Victorian times. Take a ride on the high-level Monorail or hop onboard the open-topped veteran London bus for a different way to explore the grounds.

Visitors to Beaulieu on the 25th and 26th May can also enjoy Truckmania, an event taking place in the parkland which celebrates all things truck-related. See displays of trucks spanning 100 years, from horse-drawn carriages through to modern, environmentally-friendly lorries, watch the amazing BIGFOOT monster truck crushing cars and watch as truck drivers’ skills are put to the test in Truck Agility.

All-inclusive attraction admission tickets can be bought on the day of your visit, or take advantage of the 10% discount offered on tickets bought in advance online at www.beaulieushop.co.uk

Beaulieu is open daily, 10am – 5pm. For more information, visit www.beaulieu.co.uk

Spring Flower Festival Celebrates Chatsworth’s Love of Art

Visitors to Chatsworth can expect a flower-filled journey through the Chatsworth art collection during May as celebrated floral expert Jonathan Moseley transforms the house with more than 10,000 spring blooms.

The Florabundance flower festival runs from Friday, 9 May to Tuesday, 13 May with rooms throughout the house decorated by Jonathan Moseley, currently to be seen on TV starring in the BBC’s ‘The Big Allotment Challenge’. Taking ‘flowers in art’ as its theme Florabundance will reflect Chatsworth’s art collection, which boasts an array of paintings and sculptures from ancient Egypt up until the present day.

Visitors will start in The Painted Hall where four Dutch-master wall paintings will be re-created on marble tables in the centre of the room using delphiniums, peonies, tulips and tropical flowers including ginger lilies.

The riot of colours and floral scents is spread throughout the house: the Sculpture Gallery will be dressed entirely with red roses; the State Drawing Room, currently hosting a wartime exhibition, will be dressed in white flowers including amaryllus and white daisies suspended from silver birch trees; whilst in the Chapel, Damien Hirst’s sculpture ‘Saint Bartholomew, Exquisite Pain’ will be re-created in black anthuriums, calla lilies and blood-red amaranthus.

The Florabundance festival is included with a house and garden entry ticket but for visitors who are looking to get more hands-on, Jonathan Moseley will also be holding demonstrations and workshops in which he will share tips and advice about growing and arranging flowers at home.

Floral demonstrations: Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th May – Jonathan Moseley will reflect on how historical pictorial evidence gives us clues about flowers used in ceremonies and rituals from the art of the Ancient Egyptians, Greek and Romans. He will recreate the floral visions of masters including Van Gogh and Monet.

Floral workshop, flowers in art: Monday 12th May - Jonathan Moseley will guide you as you create two floral designs, one inspired by a classic Monet canvas and another by the famous Dutch flower paintings. He will teach several floral design techniques including textured floral embroidery to create a living floral canvas and contemporary techniques to construct a modern table design.

For more information and online booking, visit www.chatsworth.org

Jonathan Moseley works as a freelance floral designer, based in Derbyshire. The world of flowers is a passion for him and he employs his love of nature and his garden as a focus for many of his designs. His humorous and friendly approach make him one of the UK’s most popular demonstrators and he can currently be seen as one of the stars of the BBC’s show  ‘The Big Allotment Challenge’.

Beaulieu Hosts Popular Sculpture Exhibition For Fifth Year

Agent Provacateur - Maggie Butler

Sculptures created by some of the most talented amateur and professional sculptors from across the south of England will form one of the largest sculpture trails in the country from 23rd May until 20th August, featuring figurative, abstract, floral and animal pieces created by the members of the Surrey Sculpture Society.
Set within the picturesque grounds of the Beaulieu attraction, the exhibition begins at the entrance to the world famous National Motor Museum and draws visitors along its trail, through the Victorian Ornamental Kitchen and Flower Gardens and Abbey ruins to Palace House and tranquil waterside setting. Smaller sculptures will be displayed within Palace House, which is one of just ten designated Treasure Houses of England.

It will be the fifth year that Beaulieu will host this popular exhibition and also the 20th anniversary of the Surrey Sculpture Society, a well-established regional arts organisation with over 350 members, which has been featured on national radio and television.

Belgian Barge Horse - Carol Orwin

“The Surrey Sculpture Society is delighted to be invited back once again to Beaulieu.  It is such a prestigious location and Beaulieu’s beautiful gardens provide the perfect setting to showcase our artists' work. The exhibition will also form part of our society’s 20th anniversary celebrations,” commented Sue Cundell, Chairman of the Surrey Sculpture Society.

Commenting on the success of the Sculpture exhibition last year the Hon. Ralph Montagu said: “The artworks add an extra element to the attraction for the thousands of visitors coming to Beaulieu and has become a much anticipated annual summer feature.”

Baby Elephant - Gilbert Wyman

Sue Cundell continued: “The sculptures range from traditional to contemporary styles offering broad appeal to suit all tastes and budgets. There is something for everyone to enjoy, from smaller works to major pieces of sculpture and all pieces in the exhibition are for sale.”

The exhibition can be seen as part of a visit to the Beaulieu attraction, which is open from 10 am every day.

For further information telephone 01590 612345 or visit www.beaulieuevents.co.uk.  For more information on the Surrey Sculpture Society visit www.surreysculpture.org.uk

Blenheim Palace Flower Show is set to bloom

The much-anticipated Blenheim Palace Flower Show is set to burst into bloom in June to celebrate the very best of gardening in the UK.

Blenheim Palace Flower Show

Thanks to the overwhelming success of its debut in 2013, the stunning show, which is organised by Aztec Events, will return to the grounds of the Oxfordshire stately home from 20-22 June 2014.

Packed with inspiration and vibrant colour, the sweet-smelling event will feature over 150 floral and garden exhibitors. Some of the UK's finest landscape designers such as Nicholsons, Green Art, Slate Grey and Prime Design will be displaying breath-taking outdoor spaces to showcase their exquisite design work.

Elsewhere the stunning 25,000 sq ft Grand Floral Pavilion, which forms the main centerpiece of the show, will play host to a selection of the UK's finest nurseries including D’Arcy Everest, Eagle Sweet Peas and Oska Copperfield Nurseries. It will also provide the perfect place to speak to the show’s growing crop of celebrity experts.

Monty Don

On hand to open the three-day show will be horticultural expert Monty Don. Best known for presenting the BBC television series Gardeners' World the writer and speaker will be welcoming and sharing his extensive gardening knowledge with visitors.

Meanwhile, on Saturday, June 21, presenter, author and gardener Joe Swift will be joined by ITV’s Love Your Garden presenter Frances Tophill in the Experts Theatre.

Joe will be talking about landscaping, garden design and home gardening while Frances will be encouraging people to get out into their gardens and to make the most of whatever space they have.

The ever-popular Ground Force television duo Charlie Dimmock and Tommy Walsh are back in action on Sunday, June 22. Charlie will be entertaining visitors with expert advice on choosing and installing water features and Tommy will be sharing knowledge and tips on various garden building projects.

Charlie Dimmock

“No summer flower show could hope for a finer setting than Woodstock’s Blenheim Palace,” said Aztec Events director Matt Upson who, given the success of the 2013 show, expects to attract 40 thousand this year.

“Once again we’re expecting visitors of all ages from across the UK and not just keen gardeners. Our show is also popular with those passionate about food, local heritage and the great British outdoors as the elegant palace provides a stunning backdrop to rival those offered by the Chelsea and Hampton Court shows,” added Upson.

Built by Vanbrugh and now home to the 11th Duke and Duchess of Marlborough and his family, visitors to the Blenheim Palace Flower Show can also visit the beautiful surrounding landscaped parkland and gardens free of charge. The inspirational World Heritage Site, which was the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill, offers a memorable day out in its own right.

For more information or to book discounted advance tickets to the Blenheim Palace Flower Show, visit: www.blenheimflowershow.co.uk. Tickets are priced from £12.50 adults and £6.50 for children at the gate. Concessions and family tickets are also available.

Blenheim Palace Flower Show

When: 20-22 June 2014
Where: Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, Oxfordshire OX20 1PP
Doors: 10:00am - 5:00pm
Parking: FREE
Dogs: Allowed on a lead (no dogs are permitted inside the Palace building)

Beaulieu Gears Up For Another Weekend Of Truckmania

Big Foot

Tug a truck!

Dalton's Rocky, Hangover and Avengers Trucks

On Sunday 25th and Bank Holiday Monday 26th May, Beaulieu will be super-sizing its offering to visitors with its popular, family-friendly event, Truckmania. This exciting show, which burst onto the scene last year and proved to be a resounding success, is now back for 2014 with even bigger displays and more trucking action.

Custom Trucks

In the picturesque surroundings of the Beaulieu parkland, trucks and lorries of all shapes, sizes and ages will be on display for visitors to get up close to. Vehicles on display will include eco-friendly lorries, themed and specially decorated trucks, plus many commercial and traditional models.

Visitors can vote for their favourite truck in the People’s Choice Award, with the owner of the winning truck receiving a Beaulieu trophy.

World-famous monster truck, BIGFOOT, will be leaving visitors open-mouthed during two mesmerising, action-packed displays each day, featuring power demonstrations, gravity-defying stunts and car-crushing.

A special feature for 2014, the Transformer truck, Optimus Prime, will be appearing at the event. Do not miss seeing this superhero of the truck and film world in all his full-scale, real-life glory.

In the Grand Marquee, an even larger Mini Truck World will be whirring into action with a wide range of remote controlled model trucks. From a construction site to a road network, these RC trucks will recreate everything that full-size trucks do on a daily basis.

TV trucking personality, Mark Dixon, will again be joining the action on both days, talking with event commentator, Kevin Harris, sharing his knowledge of trucks and saying hello to visitors.

Always fun for both participants and spectators alike, the Truck Agility Test sees truck drivers manoeuvring their cab around a number of awkward obstacles, with a Beaulieu Trophy awarded each day to the most skilled driver.

Enjoy free rides on the traditional fairground dodgems and test your strength in the ‘Beaulieu Truck Pull’. Both individual and team participants are welcome, with all those taking part receiving a very special medal.

Truckmania can be enjoyed as part of a visit to the whole Beaulieu attraction. See the National Motor Museum and its two brand new displays for 2014. For Britain & For The Hell Of It features iconic Land Speed Record cars and celebrates the history of British Land Speed Record breaking with a stirring audio-visual presentation. The Motorcycle Story takes you on a journey through motorcycling history, featuring motorcycles and memorabilia covering a wide range of racing disciplines, road safety and British youth culture of the 1950s and 60s.

Visit World of Top Gear, displaying actual vehicles used in the popular BBC television motoring show, On Screen Cars with genuine vehicles from TV and film, 13th century Beaulieu Abbey, Palace House and the gardens.

Beaulieu attraction admission tickets are available to buy on arrival on the day of your visit, or in advance online from www.beaulieushop.co.uk at a special web discount rate.

Free parking is available to visitors in the attraction car parks with the event opening each day from 10am – 6pm.

If you have a truck which you would like to bring along to Truckmania, or if you would like to have a trade stand at the event, please download an entry form from http://www.beaulieu.co.uk/beaulieu-events/truckmania or contact the Events Team, by email at events@beaulieu.co.uk or by telephone on 01590 614614.

For more information about Truckmania, please visit www.beaulieuevents.co.uk or join @Beaulieu_Hants on Twitter, using #truckmania.

Bloodhound At Beaulieu Saturday 10th May 2014

Visitors to Beaulieu on Saturday 10th May will have a rare opportunity to see a full-sized prototype of the next British Land Speed Record contender, the Bloodhound SSC. The project is led by Richard Noble, OBE, who set a World Land Speed Record of 633mph in Thrust II in 1983 and was Project Director on the current Land Speed Record of 763mph, set in 1997 by Wing Commander Andy Green, OBE, in Thrust SSC.

The Bloodhound Project team will be on hand to meet and talk with visitors about the prototype and their hopes to break the 1,000mph barrier, with Andy Green again in the driving seat. Visitors will also have the chance to ‘drive’ at 1,000mph themselves in the Bloodhound Driving Experience.

The Bloodhound Project can be seen as part of a visit to the whole Beaulieu attraction, which includes the National Motor Museum and its exciting new Land Speed Record Breakers display, For Britain & For The Hell Of It. It features four of the most iconic Land Speed Record vehicles, Bluebird CN7, Sunbeam 350hp, Sunbeam 1000hp and Golden Arrow, and tells the story of British pluck, technological mastery and national pride – alongside new vehicles with a more alternative land speed heritage. A moving audio-visual presentation transports you back to a golden age of invention, courage and patriotism and introduces you to those who are keeping the record breaking dream alive today.

Other features of the Beaulieu attraction include Palace House and gardens, 13th century Beaulieu Abbey, On Screen Cars and World of Top Gear. Buy your admission tickets in advance online at www.beaulieushop.co.uk to receive a 10% web discount.

For more information, please visit www.beaulieuevents.co.uk

Beaulieu’s Bloodhound Education Event for School Groups – 8th & 9th May

On Thursday 8th and Friday 9th May, school groups can book to take part in the Bloodhound Education Event, designed to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers. Following a presentation about the planned 1,000mph World Land Speed Record attempt and the Bloodhound Supersonic car, students will take part in four specially themed workshops including building a car to race as far as possible in a straight line using an air-powered launcher. The sessions will be taking place from 9.30am – 2.30pm each day.

For booking, prices and more information please contact the Beaulieu Education Team either by email at education@beaulieu.co.uk or by telephone on 01590 614645.